Chandigarh:- In a historic verdict, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today refused to approve the proposed 'Tribune Chowk flyover' project on Chandigarh's Dakshin Marg. A bench headed by Chief Justice Sheel Nagu, while giving the order in the court, made it clear that this flyover is directly against the rules of 'Chandigarh Master Plan-2031', hence its construction cannot be allowed. However, the court said that under the Master Plan, there is permission to build an underpass here, which can be considered as an alternative measure to solve the traffic problem.
The High Court has strictly directed the administration to maintain the original form and urban design of Chandigarh, especially the sectors of Phase-1 and the Dakshin Marg section at all costs. The bench emphasised that it is imperative to develop a robust and comprehensive ‘public transport’ (government bus service/metro) infrastructure to reduce the dependence on private vehicles and the increasing traffic congestion in the city.
It is worth mentioning that the High Court, during the previous hearing, had completely stayed the felling of mango trees and other valuable trees that were more than half a century (50 years) old and would be affected by this project. The bench had said that it is the duty of the court to save these historic trees standing around Tribune Chowk from being sacrificed for the flyover.